Sunday, August 14, 2011

A former college friend told me this story. There was an ongoing job fair for a telemarketing company at their town. It has been going on every month. The office of the company is in the next city. Lots of fresh graduates and college level under graduates went to the job fair and applied. Those who got hired were happy and satisfied with the company and the salaries and benefits they receive.
A few months after, the company was not campaigning anymore for another hiring activity. What was strange though was that her daughter got a call from that company asking her if she wants to work for that company. The caller told her daughter that they got her name and number from the university where her daughter used to study. She just dropped out from her college because she wanted to shift to another course and was waiting for the next school term. The caller told her daughter that she should undergo training first before starting. She was asked to pay for a training fee before her daughter gets listed on the roll. She instructed her daughter to wire transfer the money to save the slot.
Fortunately, my friend knew someone from that telemarketing company and asked whether they are really calling up college drop outs and offering training and employment to them. That person said no. He said that their hiring process starts with an official hiring event or if an applicant walks in to their office and submits his resume personally. He said they never call persons to have training with them and get hired on the process.
Her daughter later learned that some of her friends were also called by this “hiring agent” and they were also asked to wire some money for the training. One of her friends falls to the trap and wired the training fee and never got any call anymore since then from the “hiring agent” of the company.
For such instances, it is better not to get excited readily by these kinds of offers. Do necessary research before paying for anything. Make sure also that you get the phone number of the person who called you. Check the phone number online and verify from respective company about the offer. Report it to FTC and the proper authorities. Create awareness of the incident to your friends as well. Spread the word that frauds like this is happening to help other people prepared themselves when they get these calls in the future.